The director Mads Mikkelsen will only work with on his terms: “We’d have to make some rules”
When your first movie role is in a film by Nicolas Winding Refn—a Cannes ‘Best Director’ winner known for Bronson, Only God Forgives, and Drive—it’s bound to set you up for greatness. That was the case for Mads Mikkelsen, who made his debut as Tonny in the gritty crime drama Pusher. Since working with Refn, the Danish star has built an impressive list of collaborators, including Sam Raimi, Louis Leterrier, and Barry Jenkins—and that’s just in film. His esteemed TV career, particularly his masterful portrayal of Hannibal Lecter, introduced the character to a whole new generation of fans.
Every time it feels like Mikkelsen has hit his peak, he finds a new level of greatness. As he approaches his 60th birthday, there’s still plenty of time for him to work with even more esteemed directors. One pairing that seems made in heaven is with Lars von Trier, his fellow Dane and maker of some of the most outlandish, controversial pictures of the 21st century.
Slant raised this potential collaboration when they sat down with the actor. “I would love to work with Lars, if he was interested in working with me,” he said, before clarifying that he would need to set some boundaries with the famously abrasive auteur. “We’d have to talk together, we’d have to listen to each other, work together, and cooperate. I’m not gonna be a little pawn in a big chess game, and he just tells me what to do. It’s not going to happen. But, I’m sure, if we can talk, and listen to each other, we might be able to do something interesting.”
Von Trier, whose catalogue includes Antichrist, Melancholia, and The House That Jack Built, is one of the most polarising directors ever to step behind a camera. His films do not shy away from more taboo subjects, embracing perverse sexual desires and unconventional approaches to religion and violence. His own life has been riddled with issues, including a highly publicised battle with depression that has informed pretty much all of his work. In 2022, he stepped away from filmmaking following a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. He was moved into an assisted care facility in early 2025.
Unfortunately, von Trier’s career has also been dogged by allegations of misconduct and abuse. Björk, who appeared in 2000’s Dancer in the Dark, accused him of sexual harassment on the set of the film. The Icelandic icon also criticised other elements of his working practices, likening him to “a terrorist“. He also caught flak for praising both Vladimir Putin and Adolf Hitler in separate interviews and was caught up in an animal cruelty scandal when a donkey was slaughtered for his movie Manderlay.
Mikkelsen’s comments were made in 2013 before a lot of the negative press surrounding von Trier had started. He mentioned that the director had reached out to him in the past, but he had been unable to make anything happen due to a prior commitment. He also stated: “I think he’s done some brilliant work.” It would be very interesting to see if he would repeat this sentiment now.
It’s looking like we’ll never get that Mikkelsen/von Trier crossover, but perhaps that’s for the best. Who knows what sort of madness they could have unleashed on the world.
